HELP! Must choose language!

[DP]

Perhaps I missed it, but did anyone suggest Ruby? Some similarity to Python,
especially in terms of clarity of code, and my experience suggests it'll be
quick to learn. Available on Mac too. Good docs & support, not as expansive
as Python, but since you only want to learn, it's worth considering.

An interpreted language is definitely a huge learning plus. And the focus
ought to be on learning, with less time spent on semantics, more on
concepts.

And then there's OCaml. see http://caml.inria.fr/FAQ/general-eng.html. I've
heard good things, but don't really know it. I didn't pursue it because I
found the semantics "different" from anything else I have used. But you
probably don't suffer from this baggage. And I think that is indeed rare for
anyone on this list.

Also, if you're more of a math student than Comp Sci, look into R. It's a
beauty.

Anyway, this thread has more suggestions than you probably have time.

All the best.


"Chewdip20" <chewdip20 at aol.com> wrote in message
news:20021229230751.24148.00000389 at mb-bj.aol.com...
| Hello, everyone, I am a 9th grade student, who is very interested in
learning
| programming. I realize I waited too long to begin, as many have started in
| earlier grades, but I am determined to learn something. But that is where
it
| stops. I have no idea what programming language to learn. This, for me, as
a
| beginner, is incredibly frustrating and I keep questioning myself. WHAT is
the
| best language to learn, in your unbiased opinion, for a complete beginner
to
| programming? I have seriously considered C( I even bought and started on a
book
| about it), Python(my original choice, however, teachers deterred me from
it),
| C++(instead of C, supposedly quicker to get into), as well as some form of
| BASIC. But I, in all seriousness, am running out of time. I get back to
school
| the week after next, and I want to have some intermediate knowledge of a
| language by then. I get little time to do anything I want after school,
and
| thus my chances to further my knowledge of a language would be severly
limited
| to weekends, which are also packed for me. Basically, everyone, I need a
| language, I need it fast.
| Also, I have heard C and C++ are rough to start with. Any truth to this?
|
| I have heard from several sources how helpful this newsgroup is, so I came
here
| for you guys' experience. Thanks for any help,
|
| Qweezle.